Knots

knots

27th April – 14th May 2017
‘[The] simple act of tying a knot is an adventure in unlimited space … an excursion that is limited only by the scope of our own imagery and the length of the rope makers coil.’

Clifford Ashley, The Ashley Book of Knots

From 27th April to 14th May, Lewisham Art House will present KNOTS, an exhibition of new work by Shiree Allen, Nancy Edwards, Jo Evans and Liz Workman.

Knots are everywhere in our daily life, often overlooked but always invaluable. Working in print, photography, sculpture and works on paper, each artist has responded to the theme of knots: the literal (tangled, connected, binding, tension, repetition); the psychological and emotional (stomach knots, ‘certain knot of peace’, tying the knot); and the mythological (Gordian knots, Heraldic knots). A collaborative sculpture forms the centre piece of the exhibition.

Shiree Allen’s work is inspired by the tall ship building and the debris of the past that can be found on the banks of the Thames. She contrasts this with the industrialisation of modern London; the tangle of buildings, railways, road and river that can still be seen from high above. Creating intriguing and detailed prints of these aerial views, Allen combines the chaos of knotted roads and buildings with the nails, washers and pulleys, that remain long after the rope that made the ships has decayed.

Nancy Edwards focuses on the connections and constraints of relationships; how these ebb and flow over time, increasing in intensity, wavering as priorities change. Working with paper and thread her delicate and precise works use repetition, order and misplacement to explore the ways these ties are made, broken, strengthened and subverted. Tension sustains the fragile structures she constructs, whilst simultaneously testing their integrity.

For Jo Evans, a rope knot found washed up on the beach, provided the starting point for an exploration of the psychological and emotional associations of knots. She positions the ‘knot’ as a bind, a tangle, a problem to be solved and a metaphor for the process of art making. Through drawing and text-based works she considers the patterns of behaviour we are compelled to repeat.

Liz Workman’s photography looks at repetitive tasks unconsciously performed, mapping and recording these unseen routes taken in our everyday lives. In her work Spider she weaves a giant cobweb around her home while tidying to create something beautiful, fragile and temporary from a necessary but mundane routine.

Further information and images:

www.shireeallen.co.uk
www.nancyedwards.co.uk
www.joevansart.com
www.lizworkman.co.uk

Preview:
Friday 28th April 2017
6-9 pm

Exhibition continues:
27th April – 14th May 2017
Open Thursday to Sunday 12-6 pm

Free entry
Step-free access